Magic

Magic has long been a divisive force in the world: be it by the very nature of its power, the ability to seemingly bend the rules of the world to one's whims, or by the sheer fact that it exists somehow with no clear origin. Entire schools of academic thought exists solely for the purpose of trying to divine what others might already call a divine force in itself. No matter the legend or theory, what is clear is this: that magic is both a great power and a great responsibility, and that its use has come under equally great scrutiny over the recent age.

Aetheral has become a point of great interest for scholars and magi alike for many reasons, perhaps chief among them being the odd currents of magic that seem to permeate the very land. Here, more so than anywhere else in the known world, the touch of magic seems to be within reach of a greater portion of the population. As any who has heard tale of the terrible bone monoliths in old Norenia might know, magic left to run rampant can easily spell catastrophe for any and all caught in its wake.

Learning Magic in Aetheral
While not so tightly controlled as in Norenia, aspiring mages in Aetheral must nevertheless subject themselves to the strict guidance of experienced and qualified mages that they might safely learn and test their powers without undue risk of causing harm to themselves or others. The exact nature of such lessons are not so widely known, as they can vary wildly depending on such factors as the student's magical affinities or latent talent (or lack there-of as may be the case), but one wishing to pursue magic can expect that such lessons will not come easily. Magic in Ardea is not so heavily stigmatized as it was in Norenia, for example, but there still exists a wariness towards its practice, so much so that there even exists special law that gives the Council power to prohibit its practice entirely should they deem it prudent to do so.

Schools of Magic
Magic in Aetheral has been divided into five broad categories: Arcane, Elemental, Druidic, Holy, and Corrupt. There are unique skills among these varied schools just as there is overlap where the exact nature (and perhaps intention) of the spells coincide with one another. However, it is extremely rare for those talented in one school to diverge into another.

Arcane
Unlike the other forms of magic, often associated with culture or religion, the arcane school of magic is erudite, rather than a lifestyle. An orc with a scholarly disposition is just as capable of learning the skill as a dwarf. To the arcane mage, reality is a thin veil, held together by arcane sinews. In thorough study of ancient texts regarding the practice, one may learn to manipulate these arcane sinews, and thus the world around them.

Druidic
Shrouded in mystique, Druids have a reputation across the realm for living as one with beasts and nature. Many recognize them as guardians of nature, regarding them for their power to manipulate it-- But the Druid’s own views contradicts this. Rather, they are servants to the natural world. As a priest might to Auran, Druids remain utterly devoted and revere nature above all else. Both a deep respect and fear for its power. Sworn to uphold the delicate balance of nature and the cycle of life and death.

Elemental
Elemental magic, also referred to as shamanism, is a form of magic often analogous to a certain lifestyle. Orcs commune with their ancestors at the site of a monolith to learn their shamanism. Meanwhile, dwarves may become one with the earth, learning to shape the elements around them as their titan ancestors did.

Holy
Driven primarily by faith in the God of Light, while its use is not restricted to those of the Church of Light, those of the clergy thus found to be blessed often devote themselves to its study. With one hand, the Light is capable of great miracles of protection and healing; by the other, terrible acts of divine retribution.

Corrupt
Misunderstood but not without its own purpose, the umbrella of "corrupt" magic is wide and covers much of what polite society has deemed improper at best and outright taboo at worst. Such stigmas can do little to deny that such branches of magic have thrived even under the watchful eye of holy men. Arts that draw upon the dark, upon death, and even upon blood: such is the way of corruption, empowered only so far as its wielder can empower it in turn.

Corruption magic can also be described as "loose" magic or magic that is removed from a source. The easiest way to describe this concept is with necromancy, which is the "corrupted" version of healing magic. When the healing magic is taken away from the source that manages it, especially in the context of the Saints, it no longer is contained. Necromancy is what happens when healing magic, instead of healing bones or flesh wounds, attempts to "heal" death. This, however, does not work well, due to the lack of several other factors that make something "alive," which results in a reanimated corpse rather than a living one. This can be extended to creatures such as lich, which actually have some form of consciousness, enough to speak in rare occasions, but not enough to reference memories or form "true" bonds.

"Loose" magic, which is, corrupt magic without a purpose, often times tries to inhabit a host in order to perform a function. That function often manifests as one of three things:

- The absorption into earthen crystals, changing them from simple mineral build-up or stone, into mana crystals. These crystals, when broken, release this natural build-up of "loose" mana, which, seeing no other host than the caster, will then commit to its second function.

- The binding to a living soul. A soul, otherwise described as a life-pool or mana-pool, has a natural pull. Loose magic is attracted to the soul, and, is easily able to conform to any set functions of the soul. This is how mages are able to recharge their mana-pool with mana crystals, as well as simply recharge their pools overtime, since loose magic is everywhere, especially in Aetheral, where it is abundant.

- The binding to a corpse. Corrupted magic is magic that sort of has a will of its own, making it unwieldy, and dangerous. Sometimes this "loose" magic can slip into corpses. This magic's innate "desire" is to return to the natural state of being, and for a creature, that natural state is alive and with a soul. However, this magic does not have the ability to ever completely resurrect the dead, it instead creates a creature without form or purpose, these creatures being "corrupted" corpses that we know as Skeletons and Zombies.

Practicing Magic
Working spells requires more than practical knowledge. An understanding of how to tap into one's innate energies is arguably the more difficult portion of the process, but any mage who wishes to pursue a career in magic must understand that all spell casting is tied to both the use of lapis lazuli as well as a force known colloquially as mana.

Lapis Lazuli is a highly valued reagent found deep within the earth which serves as a catalyst for any and all magic spells. Some academics argue that one of the reasons for Aetheral's peculiar magical influences is because of an unusually high concentration of lapis lazuli throughout the continent. It is through this substance, often sold or traded in powdered or chipped form, that the will of the spell is given shape, that the mage might then further shape said spell through the caster's mana.

Mana is an intangible resource of sorts. Where stamina might measure a person's ability to run long distances, mana determines things such as the impact, duration, or even the ability to cast spells at all. As with stamina, once used, mana requires time to regenerate, with more potent spells requiring a higher concentration of mana to cast them.